China increases cloud-seeding operations amid record heatwave

China has increased its cloud-seeing operations as a crippling drought exacerbated by a record heatwave spreads across half of the country.

Images from China's state broadcaster show unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) conducting cloud seeding operations in the sky and workers on the ground shooting missiles in an effort to create artificial rainfall

The world's second-largest economy has experienced over 70 days of heatwaves, flash floods and droughts -- phenomena that scientists say are becoming more frequent and intense due to climate change.

Southern China has recorded its longest continuous period of high temperatures since records began more than 60 years ago, the agriculture ministry said this week.

Experts have said the intensity, scope and duration of the heatwave could make it one of the worst recorded in global history.

A chart from the National Climate Centre showed that swathes of southern China -- including the Tibetan Plateau -- were experiencing "severe" to "extraordinary" drought conditions.

The worst-affected area -- the Yangtze river basin, stretching from coastal Shanghai to Sichuan province in China's southwest -- is home to over 370 million people and contains several manufacturing hubs including the megacity of Chongqing.

China's State Council on Wednesday announced a 10 billion yuan ($1.45 billion) subsidy to support rice farmers experiencing drought conditions, which authorities have warned pose a "severe threat" to this year's autumn harvest.

China produces more than 95 percent of the rice, wheat and maize it consumes, but a reduced harvest could mean increased demand for imports in the world's most populous country -- putting further pressure on global supplies already strained by the conflict in Ukraine.

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(With AFP inputs)